MACHS

COMMON GROUND CONFERENCE

WORKSHOP: T5 – Loss and Grief

Presenter: George Walker

Facilitator: Jules Van Kekem

Scribe: Leslie Page

The issues of male grief and loss is clearly evident within the focus of the state coroners office and the responses required which involves grief counselling, crisis responses to family members of the deceased and preparing individuals for inquests. Male deaths often have to key issues these are: What can be done to prevent such deaths? (prevention) And what can be done to reduce the negative consequences of such deaths? These questions will provide the participants with a broad range of discussion.

• State Coroner is a Judicial Officer and presides under the State Coroner’s Act.
• The coroner looks after Death in suspicious circumstances.
• Death is reported under violent or unusual circumstances
• Aboriginal culture of who is next of kin is a big issue.
• Counselling with next of kin has to be facilitated as a normal part of the process
• Suicide is when one takes his/her own life or an immediate act.
• The rates of suicide is for men over fifty is much higher when compared with women in the same age group,
• Basically there are three types of suicide, these area altruistic, egotistic, anomic .
• The main causes of suicide are often contributed to an individual’s personal life circumstances including their mental health, home life, sexuality, medication, and participation in the drug culture.

Mental health support agencies needed for men in crisis.